The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layer contains phosphate retention attributes. Phosphate retention (P retention) is estimated as weighted averages for the upper part of the soil profile from 0-0.2 m depth, and expressed as a percentage. The classes are described more fully in Blakemore et al. (1987) and Webb and Wilson (1995).

The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralological characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layer contains the best available data (as at 2000) of Profile Readily Available Water (PRAW) which estimates water readily available to plants for the soil profile to a depth of 0.9 m, or to the potential rooting depth (whichever is the lesser). Values are weighted averages over the specified profile section (0-0.9 m) and are expressed in units of mm of water.

The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralological characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layer contains best available data (as at 2000) for soil salinity which is measured as percent soluble salts (g/100g soil). High salinity is detrimental effects on plant growth and yield, can reduce water quality and soil erosion. Salinity is an important land degradation problem.

The soil inventory survey of Wallace County, Southland was mapped at 1:50,000 scale and covers approximately 700,000 hectares of a total of 965,600 hectares. Within 6 physiographic regions, soils have been separated by differences in morphology, drainage and parent materials into 132 soil mapping units. Soils have been correlated to South Island soil sets and classification of soils for land use are provided in the attribute table.

This 1986 soil survey has been superceded in lowland areas by Topoclimate South (1998-2001) and S-map (2014) data.

Acid soluble phosphorous data layer used in the creation of Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) classification. The classification layers have been made publicly available by the Ministry for the Environment (see data.mfe.govt.nz/layers/?q=LENZ for to access these layers).

This data layer is a measure of how much acid soluble phosphorous is held within the soil. The data defines the level of acid soluble phosphorous based on the soil information (from the NZLRI) and the mapped parent material. This acid soluble phosphorous data layer is differentiated into five classes, ranging from Very low (Class 1) through to Very high (5). The class defined as "0" signifies areas where there are no soil attributes recorded (i.e. high peaks of the Southern Alps).

Additional details such as discussion about the accuracy and reliability of the LENZ soil layers and the technical definitions of the categories in this layer are defined in the attached LENZ Technical Guide.

Exchangeable calcium data layer used in the creation of Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) classification. The classification layers have been made publicly available by the Ministry for the Environment (see data.mfe.govt.nz/layers/?q=LENZ for to access these layers).

This data layer is a measure of how much exchangeable calcium is held within the soil. The amount of exchangeable calcium defined in the data layer is derived by the soil information (from the NZLRI) and the mapped parent material. Four classes of exchangeable calcium, ranging from Low (1), through to Very High (4). The class defined as "0" signifies areas where there are no soil attributes recorded (i.e. high peaks of the Southern Alps).

Additional details such as discussion about the accuracy and reliability of the LENZ soil layers and the technical definitions of the categories in this layer are defined in the attached LENZ Technical Guide.

The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layers contains flood return interval attributes. The classes originate from and are described more fully in Webb and Wilson (1995).

The dataset contains polygons of soils of part of the Waitotara County mapped at 1:31680. The attributes contain the soil series and the soil classification. No analytical properties of the soils are included.

The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layer contains depth to slowly permeable horizon attributes. Depth to a slowly permeable horizon describes the minimum and maximum depths (in metres) to a horizon in which the permeability is less than 4mm/hr as measured by techniques outlined in Griffiths (1985). If no slowly permeable horizon is observed, the taxon is allocated to Class 6 and a null value with numeric code -.99 is entered into the data fields. These classes, described more fully in Webb and Wilson (1995).

The New Zealand Fundamental Soil Layer originates from a relational join of features from two databases: the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI), and the National Soils Database (NSD). The NZLRI is a national polygon database of physical land resource information, including a soil unit. Soil is one in an inventory of five physical factors (including rock, slope, erosion, and vegetation) delineated by physiographic polygons at approximately 1:50,000 scale. The NSD is a point database of soil physical, chemical, and mineralological characteristics for over 1500 soil profiles nationally. A relational join between the NZLRI dominant soil and derivative tables from the NSD was the means by which 14 important soil attributes were attached to the NZLRI polygons. Some if these attributes originate from exact matches with NSD records, while others derive from matches to similar soils or professional estimates. This layer contains best available data as at 2000 for total carbon (organic matter content) which is estimated as weighted averages for the upper part of the soil profile from 0-0.2 m depth, and expressed as a percentage.